The Paopu Fruit
by MikuFox
Summary: Sora is getting ready for his wedding to marry Kairi, but does he know how Riku feels? Or will it be too late? Yaoi Fluff
1. The Wedding

The paopu fruit.

A legendary fruit that when shared between two people, their destinies become intertwined. They become a part of each other's lives, no matter what. This was the story told to all who lived on Destiny Island. Most people saved the fruit to use during weddings. To them, it was more significant than wearing rings.

Today, Riku's best friend, Sora, was going to share the paopu fruit with his betrothed, Kairi.

"You sure you're ready to go through with this Sora?" Riku asked cautiously.

"Of course I am! I've been dreaming of this day since I first met Kairi!" Sora exclaimed as he finished tying the bow tie around his neck.

Sora was wearing a tuxedo rather than his usual baggy pants and hoodie. His shoes were still giant, but at least they were all black. Riku frowned as he watched Sora fidget and fuss over himself in the mirror, making sure he looked perfect for his special day.

"I'm just glad you were here with me today. I'm happy that you accepted to be my best man." Sora turned and smiled at his silver haired friend.

Although Riku should've been happy to hear Sora say that, those words shot through his heart like a bullet. In Riku's true heart, he loved Sora, and not just as a best friend. He wanted to be the one that Sora was marrying today. The one he shared the paopu with. But he wasn't going to ruin his friends' happiness for the sake of his own.

"I'll always support you Sora. I'm just glad that you're going to be happy." Riku forced himself to smile as big as he could as he rested his hand on Sora's shoulder.

"Thank you, Riku. I know we've been through a lot together, and… I just couldn't be happier right now."

"Hey, Sora! Hurry up! It's almost time!" Roxas called out.

"On my way!" Sora shouted back. "It's time!"

Sora bounced his way out the small tent, leaving Riku alone. He tore his eyes from where Sora just left and walked to the mirror. When he looked into it, his heart sank. His bright, teal eyes were puffy and heavy with sorrow. His radiant, apricot skin was dull and pale. His long, thick silver hair, now thin and weak. He looked like a wreck and there was little he could do to fix it.

Grabbing the nearest comb, he quickly tried to fix his hair into something more presentable. He decided a high ponytail would look nice with his tuxedo, with a few strands left out to frame his face. He then went to wash his face, hoping it with help brighten up his appearance. After splashing the cool water on his skin, he began to relax. He slowly dripped more water onto his face as he continued to calm himself down. He grabbed the nearest towel and dabbed the water off, looking back into the mirror.

"Much better." Riku said aloud, nodding to himself as a small smile dawned his face.

He threw the used towel into the towel bin and braced himself for the ceremony to come.

 _A few weeks ago…_

"So, are you really ok with Sora getting married?" Lea asked.

Sora had just announced his proposal to Kairi and had begun to invite all his friends and family. When Sora had invited Lea, he accepted, but immediately afterward, had run to find Riku. Lea was the only one who knew about Riku's love for Sora, and he needed to make sure he was ok.

He had found Riku buying a sea salt ice cream from the snack bar on the beach of the main island. When Lea asked if he could join him, Riku bought a second ice cream for him and lead him to a nearby bench.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, it's not like I can stop him or anything. Besides… he'd never want to be with me. Not like that at least." Riku trailed off, his eyes facing the ground.

Lea took a bite out of his ice cream and let the salty sweet taste of it melt in his mouth.

"Yeah, but, you can at least tell him how you feel, right?"

"If I told him how I felt, it'd ruin our friendship. I know it would. I can't do that to him."

"Did Sora notice anything different about you when he told you? I mean, you must've acted hurt or something."

"You know me, I've got one of the best poker faces in the world." Riku could hear the irritation in Lea's voice.

"But hasn't he realized how sad you are?!" The red head slammed his hand on the bench.

"No." Riku said blandly. "School's been keeping me busy, so I haven't been around as much lately, and when I am around, he doesn't even notice I'm there or he'll say hi and then go back to what he was doing. I guess this was what he's been so busy with."

"Wait, so he didn't tell you until after he already proposed?"

"Guess he wanted it to be a surprise."

"Damn. I would say that's cold or harsh but… It's Sora. He's just naïve, and dense apparently."

"Sora is Sora." Riku licked the last bit of ice cream from his stick and tossed it into the trash bin next to the bench.

"I'm sorry man. But, I'm here for you if you need anything ok?"

"Thanks Lea. I really appreciate it." Riku gave the red head a small smile before standing up from the bench and picking up his bag. "Well, I need to go study. I'll see ya later."

"Yeah, see ya." Lea waved as he watch the silver haired teen walk away. _Take care of yourself buddy…_

 _Back in the present…_

Chatter rose as friends and family took their seats to watch the wedding of the young keyblade wielder and princess of heart. Sora stood at the altar, fidgeting with his bow tie and cufflinks. Riku stood beside him, watching almost in agony as the time got closer and closer to the start of the wedding. His eyes glanced over to Lea, who was sitting beside Roxas and his wife, Namine. Lea gave Riku a sad smile, one that was full of anxiousness and worry. At that moment, a sweet melody began to play from the piano as everyone stood and turned.

Kairi began to walk down the aisle, her long, white dress trailing behind her. The crowd looked on in awe as Kairi continued her way down to her groom. Sora was grinning from ear to ear as he reached out his hand to grab hers. She took his hand as they smiled lovingly at each other before turning to face King Mickey, the one who would marry them.

"Friends, family, we're gathered here today to witness the marriage of Sora and Kairi. These two have gone through a lot together and with each step, their bond has only grown. Now, the bride and groom have prepared their vows. Kairi, if you would please."

Kairi turned and grabbed a small white piece of paper from her Maid of Honor, Aqua.

"Sora, ever since I met you, I knew we would always be together. You've saved my life many times, and now you're saving it again. I can't explain how much I love you, for there are no words to describe it. Sora, I am yours until time itself ceases to exist."

The crowd wiped at their eyes and sniffled as Kairi finished her vows and handed the paper back to Aqua, who was tearing up herself.

"Sora?"

Sora nodded at the King and fished his paper out of one of his pockets and began to read.

"Kairi, you have always been in my heart, no matter what trials I went through. I…" Sora choked a bit, then moved on. "I've never been good at these kinds of things, but the one that I want you to know, is that I love you and I've never been happier."

Riku nearly lost it at those words, but he continued to stay strong. He wouldn't ruin this wedding.

"Now, the paopu fruit please."

Queen Minnie brought forth the paopu fruit and presented it to Kairi and Sora as they each took one half. Riku could hardly stand to watch as each second was ripping his heart to shreds. He looked over to Lea, who had a painful look of concern on his face.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may share the paopu!"

And at that moment, Riku's heart burst as he watched his best friends bind their destinies. He clapped with the rest of the crowd and put on a fake smile, but on the inside, he was dying.

Sora swept Kairi off her feet and carried her towards the after ceremony with his other friends and family to celebrate.

But Riku didn't follow. He couldn't move. He felt so weak.

As soon as everyone else had left, Lea rushed to his friends side and caught Riku just as he was about to fall. And that's when he couldn't take it anymore. Riku burst into tears as he clutched to his red headed friend tightly. Lea held him close, trying to comfort the silver haired teen.

Luckily, the noise of the after ceremony was so loud that no one could hear his cries of despair, but Lea felt helpless to quiet his heartbroken friend. He couldn't think of anything that could calm him down. Then he had an idea, a dumb one, but he decide to do it anyways. Lea leaned down and kissed the silver haired teen.

Riku's eyes shot open as tears continued to stream down his face. He tried to push Lea away, but Lea wouldn't stop and instead, deepened the kiss. Riku eventually stopped resisting and gave in. He was too tired. He was too hurt. As Lea began to pull away, he gazed into Riku's eyes.

"…I'm sorry. But, I hate seeing you so hurt and, I know this isn't the right way to help... I'm still in love with Roxas too, but... I couldn't think of anything else to do…" Lea explained slowly.

Riku blinked a few times in shock then looked down as he remembered. Roxas was Sora's twin, but he had been married to Kairi's twin, Namine, a few months ago. Lea had been in the same boat as he was now. The silver haired teen nodded in understanding.

"Thank you Lea. I appreciate that you did that for me. I'm sorry about Roxas."

"Hey, no worries man. Honestly, I think… I'm starting to get over him. He… he doesn't really hang out with me anymore and it's pretty annoying. I deserve to be happy, you know?"

"Yeah, absolutely."

"So, actually, I… I was thinking…" Lea hesitated and grabbed Riku's hand. "Do you think, we could give us a chance?"

Riku's teal eyes stared at Lea's equally teal eyes. After a moment, he began to contemplate Lea request.

"Y-you mean, like, date?" Riku stammered out.

"Yeah, I mean, I know this is a bad time to ask, and, you don't need to answer now, but, I just thought that it might, you know, help us."

"Help us?"

"Help us move on. Cuz let's face it, Sora and Roxas aren't going to be leaving Kairi or Namine. They're married now. We can't just hope it doesn't work out and keep waiting for them."

"I… yeah, you're right, but..." Riku cast his gaze downward

"So, let's give us chance. We need to move on so, why not?" Lea gripped Riku's hand tighter.

The silver haired teen closed his eyes and tried to clear his racing mind. Could he just let go of all those feelings he had for Sora so easily? Could he really betray his own heart and start something new? Riku had never even seen Lea in that way either. But… Lea was right. He needed to move on. Sora wasn't going to be his, and he lost his chance to tell him…

After a few minutes, Riku finally opened his eyes and looked straight at Lea.

"I… I can't say yes. I'm going to need more time. To be honest, I've never thought of you in that kind of way and jumping into something like that… I would only hurt me more right now." Riku explained quietly.

Lea smirked and let go of Riku's hand. The red head turned his gaze upward to the now pink and orange sky of the sunset. He breathed in the cool, ocean air and closed his eyes.

"I understand. I know that if anyone had asked me something like that after Roxas had been married, I'd say the same thing. So don't worry about it. Take your time and heal." Lea patted Riku's shoulder playfully. "Just know that I'm still your friend."

The red head then pushed himself up and extended a hand to the silver haired teen. Riku graciously accepted it and allowed himself to be pulled up.

"Welp, we better head to the party. I'm sure someone is looking for you." Lea said cheerfully.

"Yeah, guess I have no choice." Riku smiled sadly.

The two slowly walked together back to the party as they prepared their façade of happiness. Riku told himself he wouldn't ruin Sora's wedding, and he was going to make sure he followed through. Before they entered the large party tent, Lea stopped Riku one final time.

"Hey, give me a call if you wanna hang out ok?" Lea offered happily.

"Yeah. Thank you, Lea." Riku nodded and smiled back.

 _A/N: Hey guys! So here is the first chapter of my new story! This is gonna be a long one, so please bear with me! Feel free to comment anything you'd like, I enjoy feedback! Until next time!_


	2. The Beach

_4 years later…_

The sun shined brilliantly on the warm beach of Destiny Island as Riku stood on the pier, watching as his friends struggled to row their boats ashore.

"Hey Sora! Hurry up!" Riku called out.

"I'm coming, just hold on a minute!" Sora shouted back.

"Man, parenthood has really decreased your speed huh?" Riku teased.

"Shut up!" Sora laughed as he paddled up to the dock.

"Yeah, what dad said!" A small boy shouted as he jumped on Sora's back.

Sora now had two kids: a three year old boy named Sasori and a one year old girl named Kara. Sasori was the spitting image of Sora, brown spikes, blue eyes, and a goofy grin. Kara looked like the perfect blend of the couple, deep red hair with brown strands scattered throughout, vivid blue eyes, and a beautiful smile. Kairi was holding Kara in her arms as Sora helped her out of the boat, Sasori on his shoulders.

"Hey! Don't forget about us!" Roxas shouted as he struggled to catch up with the group.

"Well, if you guys didn't bring so much stuff, you wouldn't be so behind!" Kairi joked.

"It'd be easier if you guys didn't assign us with all the packing!"

Roxas' boat was filled with several bags full of snacks and beach toys. Namine and their 4 year old twin girls, Nami and Roxi, we're sitting patiently as they applied sunblock. The twins had short, golden hair, pale blue eyes, and a calm, yet playful aura.

"Auntie Kairi, please don't pick on daddy!" Nami spoke up.

"Oh, it's alright dear. She's just kidding." Roxas said sweetly, continuing to row.

"Finally! I thought you guys wouldn't be able to make it! Although, I don't think you brought enough stuff!" A familiar voice shouted from above.

"Oh, shut up Lea!" Roxas yelled back.

Lea smirked and jumped from the tree forts balcony. He ran up to the dock and helped pull his friends in. Roxas graciously accepted the help, throwing the rope on deck for Lea to tie them up. Riku offered his hand to Namine and helped pull her up, securing her balance. Nami and Roxi began handing bags to Riku and Sora as Lea finished fastening the rope.

Once all of the boats had been tied up and emptied, the boys made their way to the tree fort to store their food and supplies for later as the girls set up the blankets and umbrellas on the beach.

It had been too long since the whole group had gone out together, so they all decided it was time for a small reunion. They had voted to go to the beach since it was such a memorable and special place, but also since they now had kids, the small ones would be entertained too.

Kara had begun to get fussy, so Kairi sat under one of the umbrellas, pulled a small blanket over her chest and began to breast feed her daughter. She gently rocked back and forth, trying to calm her little girl and get her to sleep.

"Guess it's time for her nap?" Namine asked, smiling.

"Yeah, she didn't sleep too well last night." Kairi replied quietly.

"Hey, you ladies want any snacks or drinks?" Sora shouted from the tree fort.

Kairi raised her finger to her lips then pointed to a sleeping Kara. Sora put his hands together and apologized, a big smile dawning his face.

"Do you want some water? I can go tell Sora." Namine offered.

"Yeah, a couple bottles please. Also, a couple of snacks if you don't mind?" Kairi asked.

"Of course! I'll be right back. Girls, behave yourselves, ok?"

"We'll be good!" Roxi said energetically.

Namine nodded and headed over to Sora, telling him what Kairi had requested along with some stuff for herself and the twins. Sora nodded and thanked her before turning back and grabbing a paper bag. The rest of the boys had finished organizing their supplies and began to take from the various piles of food and toys to bring down to the beach. Once everything was gathered, they headed down and rejoined the girls, who were sitting under the umbrellas.

"Hey dad, can I go play in the water?" Sasori asked, tugging at Sora's shorts.

"Sure, kiddo! Wait for me though, ok?"

"Ok!"

Sora then took off his shirt and his son's to apply sunblock. Riku cast his gaze away and turned to Lea, who was also averting his eyes from Roxas' now bare chest. The two looked at each other and laughed. They both followed suit and stripped into their swimwear as well. Lea then slipped an arm over Riku's shoulder and kissed him on the ear, causing the sliver haired man to blush.

"So Lea, how have things been between you and Riku?" Roxas asked, plopping down on the blanket, a smile wide on his face.

"Things have been great actually! We just got back from our vacation to Disney Town about two weeks ago. You guys should really go sometime!" Lea cheerfully replied.

About two months after Sora's wedding, Riku had reached out to Lea and accepted his idea to begin dating. The first couple of dates were a little awkward, but that quickly went away as the eventually began to fall in love with each other. After they'd been together for a year, the couple began to rekindle their friendships with Sora and Roxas. It pained the couple that their bonds improved only after they'd become an item.

However, they both still had feelings for Sora and Roxas. The couple often vented to each other about it, and it helped them cope with the fact they would never be able to be with ones their hearts truly belonged to. But that didn't make their love for each other any less real. They enjoyed being together and after two full years of dating, Lea had asked Riku to marry him. Riku hesitated at first, but then agreed to it. They reasoned that although they still had feelings for Sora and Roxas, it was much better to be married to someone who understands, than to be alone and suffer with a broken heart.

One year after that, the two had their wedding, but decided to go with using ring rather than the paopu fruit. They agreed that it didn't feel right sharing it just yet, so they resolved to do so once the time was truly right.

"I hear they're building a new ride there in a few months. Maybe we should go after it's done. We can take the girls, I'm sure they'd have a blast!" Roxas exclaimed to Namine.

"I think that's a fine idea!" Namine smiled.

"Then it's settled! Come on girls, let's go play in the water!" Roxas hopped up and began running to the ocean.

Nami and Roxi ran after their dad, giggling and shouting, as Sora and Sasori followed behind. Kairi had fallen asleep on the blanket with Kara in her arms. Riku went and laid an extra blanket over the two before sitting next to Lea once more.

"So, Riku, how's school been?" Namine asked as she stretched out her legs.

"It's been ok. I'm in my final semester now, so I don't have too much longer to go."

"That's good! What are you majoring in again?"

"Graphic engineering. It's pretty hard at first, but it gets easier the more you do it."

"Yeah, he tried showing me how to do it a while back, and within the first minute I was already lost!" Lea explained as he laughed.

"Hey Namine! Do you mind coming over here for a sec?" Roxas called out.

"Sure!" Namine replied as she removed her cover dress, showing off her simple, but cute, white bikini. "I'll be back."

Riku and Lea watched as their friends slashed around in the water with their kids, laughing and smiling without a care in the world. The silver haired man rested his head on the redheads shoulder, breathing in his scent and the sweet ocean mist. Next to them, they heard a rustle as Kairi slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Good morning sunshine! Have a nice nap?" Lea teased.

"Mmmm… How long was I asleep?" Kairi asked, mumbling.

"Only about an hour, maybe an hour and a half." Riku answered, checking his phone.

Kairi stretched and yawned as she took the blanket off of herself and covered up Kara again. She gradually stood up, continuing to stretch now kinked muscles. Seeing Kairi stand, Sora ran over as he called out to her.

"Hey sweetie! How are ya feelin'?"

"I'm ok. I'm just really tired now." Kairi replied quietly once Sora had reached her.

He pulled his wife in for a hug, despite being completely soaked from the ocean. Kairi laughed as she pushed him away and took off her cover dress, revealing an adorable pink bikini.

"Ok, now you can get me wet!" Kairi giggled as she skipped to the shore.

"You go ahead! I'll keep an eye on Kara!" Sora grinned as he sat next to his sleeping girl.

"That was awful nice of you." Lea commented.

"Yeah, well, she deserves a break to relax and play. Kara keeps her up most of the time, you know. She can hardly get any sleep anymore." Sora's voice hinted with sorrow.

"Maybe you should take her on a vacation." Riku suggested.

"I wish I could, but Kara still needs to be breastfed for a little longer."

"How much longer?"

"About two more months I think, give or take a couple weeks."

"Damn, well, it's almost over, then you guys can relax a bit more." Riku said, patting Sora on the shoulder.

"Yeah, and we can take care of the tiny ones for you guys." Lea chimed in.

"You guys would do that for us?" Sora questioned hopefully.

Riku rested his hand on his friend shoulder and looked him straight in the eye. "Anything for you, Sora."

The brunet smiled, small tears welling up with joy. Sora collapsed into Riku's arms, hugging him tightly, thanking him for everything he'd ever done for him. The silveret hugged him back, thankful for the warm contact. Lea watched with an almost envious look, but was more grateful than anything. Riku needed this, just like Lea still needed Roxas. After a bit, Sora sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Thanks for that. It was a great relief for me." The brunet smiled again.

"Don't worry about it." Riku said.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm starting to get pretty hungry." Lea said as he began to stand.

"Ugh, yeah, I'm starving! Let's go grab lunch for every body." Sora exclaimed, jumping up.

"Sounds good to me!" Riku agreed.

Lea and Sora then hurried to grab the lunches while Riku stayed near Kara as he called out the rest of the group to come back to the umbrellas to eat. The kids ran up first, shouting and laughing, the adults trailing up from behind. Roxas and Kairi were casually chatting with each other, Namine was running a hand through her hair as she approached Riku and started up a conversation. Lea and Sora returned with coolers and bags in hand, setting them at the edge of the towels, opened them, and began to distribute sandwiches and chips.

The rest of the day passed pleasantly. Everyone took turns staying at the umbrellas with Kara and the supplies while the rest played in the water. At one point when the girls and kids had all fallen asleep, the boys snuck off to the small island with the paopu tree for a quick sparring session. They rough-housed and practiced, summoning their keyblades and magic, making sure they kept the rust from growing on their abilities. Not long after they started, the sun began to descend, alerting them to pack up and call it a day.

They headed back and gently woke Kairi and Namine. Making sure to keep all the kids asleep, the rest worked on packing things up and cleaning the area. Riku and Roxas gathered the supplies on the dock while Sora was handing the gathered items to Lea inside the boats. Once they finished up, Sora picked up his sleeping son and carried him to the boat, where he laid him down on Kairi's lap. Roxas followed suit and helped Namine with Roxi and Nami. Soon, everyone was all loaded up and ready to go. Sora and Roxas waved back to Lea and Riku, who decided to stay behind and do a double take to make sure nothing was forgotten.

"So, did you have fun today?" Lea asked.

"Yeah, it was nice to everyone together again." Riku said, bending down to pick up a stray piece of trash.

"It was still kind of surprising that they have kids. It's like it just hasn't registered to me yet." Lea said as he scanned the beach, arms behind his head.

"I know, right? I mean I knew they had kids, but... seeing them all act like a family... it just really sunk in." Riku kept his gaze downward towards the white sand.

"You ok?" The redhead knew it was a dumb question, but he needed to hear what was on the silveret's mind.

"Honestly, no. I'm not ok." Riku began. "I mean, I don't know why, but I thought that I still had some kind of chance, like... it never sunk in that I had lost... I wanted so badly to believe that something would happen and Sora would come to me, but... I would never want Sora to be unhappy... and today... it feels so much like four years ago..." Riku trailed off as he began sob, his knees giving away beneath him.

Lea walked to his side and put a hand on the silveret's back, rubbing it slowly in small circles. The redhead felt the same, he knew how it felt, and there was no denying how much it hurt. To see the person you love most happy and in love with someone else is torture, but then they have kids, and you know it's game over. There is no possibility of being with them anymore. Even if one day they decide they're done with each other, the kid will always be in the picture.

"Riku... Let's go home." Lea lifted Riku gently to his feet and gave him his arm for support.

Riku dragged his feet slowly towards the boat across the soft sand. He remembered the old days when it was just him and Sora on this beach. He squeezed his eyes and blinked hard, forcing himself not to remember those memories. Once they reached their boat, Lea helped lower Riku into it, who in turn helped Lea.

"Lay down. I'll do the rowing this time." Lea said, gently caressing the younger mans cheek.

Riku smiled sadly and accepted the offer graciously. He laid down as best as he could and let himself fall into a deep sleep.

 _A/N: And here is chapter 2! I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it! Please leave a review to tell me how I'm doing and where you possibly would like to see this story go! Until next time!_


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